The 26-letter challenge
by LightningFireStar
Summary: This is a challenge my friend Adrien and I are doing: it consists of 26 one-shots based on the same character and Clan for the both of us. Each challenge is based on a word, starting with a different letter of the alphabet each time (from A to Z). Don't forget do check out Adrien's challenge too!
1. Acceptance

**Here is the first one-shot, with a word starting with A.**

 **Good reading!**

* * *

One-shot n°1: Acceptance

As deputy of my Clan, I should always put the others before myself. But a few moons before today, I put aside that unspoken rule. Before that time, there was one thing I could not stand: my leader welcoming strangers into BlazeClan. Of course, I wasn't the only cat thinking like that: some of my clanmates disagreed with Birchstar's decision with accepting Foxpelt as one of us. Unfortunately, the warrior code states that a leader's word is law, and even I, as deputy, couldn't convince him not to do so.

It all started last green-leaf.

* * *

 _Sandleaf was walking through the forest, Duskcloud and Hawkfur at her heels. They had a border to check, but the new mates were gossiping and giggling behind her, as usual. Sandleaf despised Duskcloud: she was pretentious, arrogant, and deeply annoying. On the other paw, Hawkfur was quite a nice cat: he was calm, patient, joyful and especially easygoing. Sandleaf couldn't understand how both of them ever became mates in the first place! Hawkfur deserved much better than Duskcloud._

 _"Hello, I—"_

 _Sandleaf jumped out of her fur at the sound of the voice. Behind her, she could sense Duskcloud and Hawkfur's_ _astonishment, and easily guessed their expressions. She had been lost in her thoughts, and hadn't noticed the cat approaching!_

 _"Who are you?" she growled to the stranger._

 _In front of her sat a handsome, fox-coloured tom with amazingly long fur and deep green eyes. His plumy tail was curled neatly around his paws, and he didn't seem at all bothered by her angered expression._

 _The tom smiled at her words. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he meowed with a honey-like voice. "I thought you had seen me."_

 _Sandleaf bit back a sharp retort. How foolish of her not to have noticed him! She had been too absorbed in her thoughts. And those two incompetent cats behind her had done nothing to help!_

With the noise they were doing, I'm sure the rogue found us like that! _she thought, fur bristling in embarrassment._

 _Recomposing herself, Sandleaf took a step towards the ginger tom and growled again._

 _"Who are you, and what are you doing on BlazeClan territory?"_

 _The tom didn't change his expression, and his smile grew even larger._

 _"My name is Fox," he meowed, "and I would like to join your Clan."_

* * *

Had you seen my expression, you would have laughed your head out. Because whatever I was expecting him to say certainly wasn't that. He was handsome, really, but his expression and smirk made me want to slap him in the face with my tail.

* * *

 _Sandleaf's eyes widened and her mouth hung open. "Join our Clan?!" she repeated._

 _"That's what I just said, yes," purred Fox, eyes glinting in amusement._

 _Sandleaf's head snapped around to seek help from Hawkfur, but her jaw dropped even lower when she realised that he was gone. Gone! And with Duskcould! The little mouse-hearts had left her to deal with Fox alone!_

I'm going to shred them when I return to camp, _thought Sandleaf, feeling anger boiling inside her._ What were they thinking, sneaking behind my back like that? Did they think I wouldn't notice?!

 _"Yeah, they disappeared a while ago, when you were busy thinking about how handsome I was," meowed Fox, mischief glinting behind his eyes. "I didn't want to startle you again, so I didn't say anything."_

How dare he?! _thought Sandleaf, roaring inside herself._ Handsome?! I wasn't thinking about that!

 _"You're funny when you're angry," snickered Fox, tearing her out of her thoughts. "You make all sorts of weird faces!"_

 _"Get out of here," hissed Sandleaf, feeling heat flushing up to her face. "Get out, or I claw your ears out, rogue," she spat, accentuating the last word. "Of course you can't join our Clan. you'll never fit in, and you're much too annoying for your own good!"_

 _"I'd like to see you try," laughed the fox-coloured tom. "By the look of it, you're all sharp words and no claws!"_

 _Sandleaf didn't need to be asked twice. Without any warning cry, she sprang and tackled Fox over. In a heartbeat, she had him pinned to the ground._

 _"Surrender, you useless piece of fox-dung!" meowed Sandleaf, making sure her claws were visible and glinting dangerously in the sunlight._

 _But the only thing that Fox did was laugh. "I know that you'll never kill me," he meowed. "I can see it in your eyes."_

* * *

The tom was deeply annoying, but I could do nothing about it. What good would it do to me if I killed him? So I just let go of him and started walking back home.

But you know what he did? He followed me. He followed me! Right thought the territory and into my camp! I was to sick of him to complain, so I just led him to Birchstar's den.

* * *

 _"Hello, Sandleaf," meowed a surprised Birchstar as the ginger she-cat entered his den. "What have you brought to me here?" he added, even more surprised at the sight of the flame-coloured tom behind her._

 _Exasperated, Sandleaf sighed. "This tom here," she meowed. "Wants to join our Clan. Obviously, I said no, but he insisted on following me all the way to our camp."_

 _Birchstar's brow furrowed. "Oh, really?" he meowed, looking at Fox. "Well, I don't see why not. He looks strong, and we could use an extra warrior."_

 _"Are you serious!?" growled Sandleaf. "Don't you realise what it would mean? We can't accept every stranger that wanders on our territory!"_

 _"Of course not!" retorted Birchstar. "But this ones seems quite capable of becoming a warrior. And if he asked for it, why not let him try?"_

 _Sandleaf did not answer, and instead stalked out of Birchstar's den angrily._

* * *

I couldn't understand how easily he had accepted Fox's demand. He was so naïve! How could we trust this stranger? I was completely furious.

The same day of course, Fox got his apprentice name. Birchstar had taken this decision so lightly, and had not even asked the Clan for their opinion!

And guess who Birchstar chose his mentor to be? ME OF COURSE!

* * *

 _"So,_ mentor, _" purred Foxpaw. "What am I learning today?"_

* * *

The tom was _so annoying._ You cannot imagine what it was like to train him. I _hated_ him. He made sure my life was miserable, and the Clan wasn't helping. And of course, his mentor had to be _me._

* * *

 _"You will be learning to shut up and listen, mouse-brain!" growled Sandleaf, cuffing him over the ear in return._

 _But Foxpaw only laughed. "Me? Shut up? In your dreams!"_

* * *

Eventually, he had to have his warrior name. So one day, Birchstar just told me he thought Foxpaw was ready.

For the second time, I couldn't believe my ears. Ready?! He hadn't even learned to respect me! And who was Birchstar to say how _my_ apprentice was doing?

Well: my leader.

* * *

 _"Foxpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Foxpelt," meowed Birchstar to the fox-coloured tom, who was puffing his chest proudly. "StarClan honours your energy and ability to adapt, and we welcome you as a full warrior of BlazeClan!"_

 _"Foxpelt! Foxpelt!"_

 _As the Clan chanted his new name, Sandleaf couldn't help but glance at the tom. Right at this moment, Foxpelt turned towards her, and stuck out his_ _tongue_.

* * *

You'll never understand how it was like to live with him in the same den. Of course, he had grown popular within the Clan, and most of my clanmates really liked him by now. I was maybe the only one hating him after all these moons.

* * *

 _"Come on, Sandleaf," meowed Blackwing to her friend as they got out of the warrior's den one morning. "Foxpelt's nice! You should try and see the good side of his character for once. He's so funny..."_

 _"No," growled Sandleaf, turning her back on Blackwing. "I'll never like the tom. I can't stand him!"_

 _"Well, I sure can't force you to like him, but could you at least try to tolerate him?"_

 _"No!" spat Sandleaf. "I. Won't. Tolerate. Him. Either!"_

* * *

I was stubborn, I really was. But I couldn't imagine a world in which me and Foxpelt could talk to each other without trying to kill the other one.

Nevertheless, one day, something happened.

I was on a patrol with Blackwing and Foxpelt (huh!), and we were supposed to check one of our borders. It was raining hard, and, at one point, we came across a flooded stream we had to cross. Pointing to a fallen tree that spread right across the stream, Blackwing had the idea to use it to get to the other side. I hesitated at first, but finally agreed to the idea.

* * *

 _Sandleaf slowly crossed the makeshift bridge, making sure not to slip. Blackwing had gone first, and had arrived safely to the other side. Foxpelt was waiting for his turn, behind Sandleaf, impatient._

 _Suddenly, a magpie let out a high pitched cry, and Sandleaf lost her grip on the branch, surprised._ _Yelping, she plummeted down the tree and fell into the stream._

 _"Help!" she yowled, paws flailing as she tried to grab the fallen tree. But the current was strong, and Sandleaf was swept away each time she tried to swim back to the shore. Weary and tired, she lifted her muzzle out of the water in a last attempt to breathe, and lost consciousness as she slowly sunk into the black depths of the stream..._

* * *

I was surprised when I woke up in Reedclaw's den. I thought I had died for sure, but our medicine cat was gazing gently at me. I wasn't dreaming. I was alive!

* * *

 _"What happened?" meowed a weak Sandleaf, slowly getting up to her paws._

 _"You nearly drowned, but Foxpelt saved you," purred Reedclaw as he sorted through his herbs._

 _"That's good," answered Sandleaf, suddenly tired. "Wait, what did you just say?" she meowed, as realisation struck her._

 _"Foxpelt saved you."_

 _"FOXPELT?!"_

* * *

I didn't understand why he had done that. Foxpelt?! Really? Why would _he_ _,_ of all cats, rescue me from a certain death? I was sure he wanted the deputy position, and with Birchstar acting like he did, I was sure he would be my successor if I were to die.

SO WHY DID HE SAVE ME?

* * *

 _Foxpelt padded to the medicine-cat den, eager to see if Sandleaf was recovering. Sure, he didn't really like her, but he wanted to make sure he hadn't saved her for nothing. The stream was cold, for StarClan's sake!_

 _"Reedclaw?" he meowed, padding into the den. "Is Sandleaf better?"_

 _"Yes, she is," purred Reedclaw, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Come and see for yourself."_

 _Foxpelt noticed Sandleaf's pale ginger shape curled in a tight ball at the far end of the den, and padded towards her._

 _"Glad you're not dead," laughed Foxpelt. "Life would be so boring without you!"_

 _"Shut up," answered a sleepy voice, but Foxpelt could discern amusement in it._

* * *

I know it seems weird, but we eventually became good friends. We always teased each other, from time to time, but not to the point of wanting to claw the other one's ears out.

I grew used to him being part of BlazeClan, and I now cannot imagine a life without him.

It was only then that I realised the importance of acceptance.

* * *

 **I hope you liked this first one-shot!** **I really enjoyed writing it XD**

 **Just a little question: don't you think Foxpelt and Sandleaf would make a cute couple?**

 **Reviews are always welcome, so don't hesitate to write a little word, and press the button!**

 **~Lightningfire**


	2. Bullying

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed Acceptance! On with the second one-shot then~**

* * *

One-shot n°2: Bullying

My name is Tawnyfoot of TimberClan, and I am going to tell you a story. Or, more precisely, _my_ story.

* * *

 _"Blossomleaf, one more push!" meowed Berryheart to the kitting queen while massaging her belly._

 _Blossomleaf grunted and bit down hard on the stick she held in her mouth as her last kit slid out. The stick crushed in her jaw._

 _"You're done now," soothed Berryheart to the tortoiseshell and white she-cat, as she placed the new-born next to its littermates. "You have four, healthy kits!"_

 _Exhausted, Blossomleaf murmured her thanks and started licking her last-born the wrong way. After a while, the kit let out a feeble mew and Blossomleaf let out a purr of relief._

 _"I'll go and tell the news to the Clan while you rest," murmured the medicine-cat to the tired queen. "Do you want me to tell Crowpelt to come in?"_

 _"Yes, please," answered the calico she-cat. "Thank you, Berryheart."_

 _Berryheart dipped her head and padded out of the nursery. Heartbeats later, a jet-black tom with big paws and a very long tail entered the den, and rushed to his mate, licking her with affectionate licks on the head._

 _"Blossomleaf, are you all right?" inquired Crowpelt worriedly. "I thought you were dying with all the cries you made!"_

 _"I'm fine, really," answered the new queen. "Don't worry, I'm totally okay," she added, green eyes earnest as she saw his skeptical expression._

 _"If you say so..." meowed Crowpelt. Then, he turned his attention on the four little shapes who were suckling at their mother's belly. "Oh, Blossomleaf," he murmured, eyes tender and loving. "They're so perfect..."_

 _Blossomleaf purred, and turned her head towards her kits. The biggest one was a pure black tom, and looked exactly like his father. "How about Nightkit for the black one?" meowed Blossomleaf as the name suddenly crossed her mind._

 _"I love it," purred Crowpelt. "It suits him very well."_

 _Eyeing the next kit, Crowpelt added instantly, "could we name your little copy Leopardkit? Her tortoiseshell patterns look like leopard spots."_

 _"Of course!" agreed Blossomleaf, nodding vigorously. "And this one should be Thornkit," she meowed, pointing to a ginger-brown tom._

 _"What about the last one?" whispered Crowpelt, looking at a tiny tortoiseshell she-cat._

 _"Hum, I don't know yet," admitted Blossomleaf. "I need to see her face first, I haven't seen it." Gently, she nudged her last-born with her muzzle and lifted her tiny head._

 _Crowpelt widened his eyes as Blossomleaf gasped, totally unprepared. "What is it?" he meowed, anxious._

 _"Crowpelt—" panted Blossomleaf. "Just look at her!" she suddenly yowled, thrusting the poor kit's head around. "She's a monster!"_

 _The kit who now faced Crowpelt had her face split in the middle. One half was ginger, and the other black. Her father took a step back, mouth agape._

 _"You're right, Blossomleaf. She_ is _a monster," he whispe_ _red, as dread gripped his whole body. "A face like that can only be a bad omen. She cannot be my kit."_

 _Blossomleaf nodded, but there was a little regret in her voice as she meowed, "well, then she cannot be mine either."_

 _Alone and cold, the kit let out a pitiful cry._

* * *

The kit, as you can guess, was me. But I wasn't left out to die. Oh, no. My fate was much worse than that.

* * *

 _"I'll feed her," meowed Blossomleaf after a moment of silence. "I just can't leave this creature to die. She is a living soul after all..."_

 _"It's your choice, Blossomleaf," replied her mate, disgust in his voice. "But if it lives, it will need a name."_

 _"I can only think of one," meowed Blossomleaf, pulling the kit to her belly but keeping a space between it and its littermates._

 _"Tawnykit."_

* * *

Only less than a day after my birth, I was given my life sentence. I would live, but be nothing to nobody. Or nearly nobody. Because in my whole life, there were two souls who actually cared for me, and did not judge me by my appearance.

The first one was my Clan leader. Some could say I was lucky to have him on my side, but with the whole Clan against, it make little to no difference. And he was old. Very old.

* * *

 _"Tawnykit, you're so ugly!"_

 _"Tawnykit, we don't want you here: go away!"_

 _"Nobody likes you, monster!"_

 _Tawnykit backed away as her littermates spat insults at her. Flattening her ears, she raced towards the elders' den and hid behind it. There were no elders in TimberClan now. Sparrowfur, the only elder, had died a moon after her birth, and the most senior warrior hadn't retired yet._

 _Tawnykit wept silently as she took shelter from her littermates' scorns. From where she stood, she could glimpse Nightkit and Leopardkit play-fighting, while Thornkit watched them with judging eyes._

 _Turning around, she curled herself in a tight ball when she heard a gentle voice from behind her._

 _"Tawnykit, is it? What's the matter?"_

 _Startled, Tawnykit lifted her head and found herself staring at a dark grey tom with startling green eyes._

 _"Y—yes," she replied, unsure of herself. Why was this cat being nice to her? She wasn't used to that._

 _The tom purred. He looked quite old, and silver hairs were sticking around his muzzle._

 _"I guess I haven't done the presentations yet. My name is Stormstar, and I am the leader of this Clan."_

* * *

Stormstar didn't think I was a bad omen. He even told me I was beautiful in my own way. He was the only friend I had, and the only cat in TimberClan who took care of me during my early days.

He was my kin, too. Crowpelt's father. And he welcomed me when no one else had.

I think I owe him my life.

* * *

 _"Today, four kits are becoming apprentices," meowed Stormstar as the Clan gathered underneath him. "Nightkit, Leopardkit, Thornkit and Tawnykit, please come_ _forward."_

 _Tawnykit's whiskers quivered in excitement even as her clanmates shot her stares. She knew who her mentor would be. Stormstar had told her last night._

I'm probably the only cat in the whole Clan in whom Stormstar confides all his secrets! _she thought, glee filling her up._ Take that, TimberClan!

 _By that time, her littermates had been given their apprentices' names and mentors, but Tawnykit didn't care who they were. She just wanted that moment all to herself._

 _"Tawnykit, from this moment until you become a warrior, you will be known as Tawnypaw. I will be your mentor!"_

 _Shocked yowls erupted from the clearing as Stormstar meowed those words. Tawnypaw even heard Nightpaw murmuring, "How come she got the leader and not me?!"_

 _Tawnypaw smiled and looked at Stormstar with bright eyes._ Maybe one day, I will earn the respect of my clanmates, _she thought, her chest puffed out in pride._

* * *

I liked my days as an apprentice. Sure, every single cat in the Clan except Stormstar still hated me, but I had something to look forward to: training.

I loved Stormstar. He made me feel loved and welcomed. I hope I see him again when I die.

* * *

 _"Come on, Tawnypaw, you can do it!" meowed the dark grey tom encouragingly to his apprentice._

 _Tawnypaw concentrated again and sprang at her leader, then darting sideways to aim a blow at his paws. Stormstar dodged but happiness glinted in his eyes._

 _"Well done! That was much better!" he purred._

 _"But I didn't even touch you..." sighed Tawnypaw._

 _"That's not the point right now, you'll manage just fine in a few other tries. You're a natural," he answered._

* * *

Time passed quickly, and I had my warrior assessment.

I got to spar with my littermates for the first time; and, to my surprise, I managed to beat Nightpaw in a mock-fight. Unfortunately, Nightpaw claimed he wasn't concentrated, and that he just couldn't spar at his best potential against a whimp like _me._

Stormstar didn't say anything, but told me later on that he knew I was worth a lot more than my littermates.

* * *

 _"Tawnypaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Tawnyfoot. StarClan honours your determination and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of TimberClan!"_

 _"Nightclaw! Leopardspots! Thornblaze! Tawnyfoot!"_

* * *

My name was heard less that the ones of my littermates, but the only cat that mattered to me was Stormstar. And he was ready to burst with pride.

Unfortunately, Stormstar had only two lives left when I first met him as a kit, and his time had to come.

He died a moon after my warrior ceremony, and his deputy Flarepelt replaced him.

Flarestar had never been mean to me, but never approached me either. She didn't really care that I was in her Clan, as long as I didn't stir trouble.

But after Stormstar's death, my life changed drastically.

I had nothing to forward to, and nobody to talk to. I was never chosen to go at a Gathering anymore (not that it made much difference, because I usually hid in the shadows so that no one would mock me), and I just spent my time hunting for prey for myself.

So I decided to end my life.

* * *

 _Tawnyfoot was perched over a gorge, ready to jump. Shivering, she asked herself if it was a good idea, but shook her thoughts away._ I don't want to live alone eternally, _she thought._ At least in StarClan, I'll have Stormstar for company.

 _Closing her eyes, she prepared to jump, when a voice called her._

 _"Wait! Stop!"_

I don't know this voice, _thought Tawnyfoot, turning her head slowly._ This cat isn't from TimberClan.

 _"Who are you?" she meowed, as she came face to face with a blue-grey tom with dazzling green eyes._

 _"My name is Skyclaw from WoodClan," meowed the tom._

 _Tawnyfoot stared in surprise at the tom. He hadn't recoiled when seeing her face, and didn't seem to be bothered at all by her appearance._

Well, my death will have to wait, _she thought, locking gazes with Skyclaw._

 _"And why, may I ask, should I stop myself from jumping off a cliff?" meowed Tawnyfoot. "I'm nothing to you. So why should you care?"_

 _Skyclaw chuckled. "I care because I can't make myself watch a cat die for nothing," he meowed, curiosity glinting behind his eyes. "And I saw you at a gathering, many moons ago. You were hiding, so you probably didn't notice."_

 _Tawnyfoot's eyes widened. "Well, I've never noticed you before, so you're right. Anyways, my clanmates hate me so much that I didn't even think a cat from another Clan would even dare talk to me. I'm so hideous, so they say."_

 _"Well," started Skyclaw, shuffling his paws. "I don't really think you're hideous. You're quite beautiful, in your own way."_

 _Tawnyfoot's eyes widened even more, and she stepped away from the gorge, getting closer to the grey tom._

 _"Me? Beautiful?" she laughed. "That's the first time I heard such nonsense!"_

 _"But you are!" nodded Skyclaw eagerly. "I love how you have two eyes from different colours, and the contrast in your pelt colouring is unique! I don't see why having a split face makes you less beautiful than others."_

 _"Do you really think that?" whispered Tawnyfoot. She could sense butterflies fluttering in her belly. It was the first time someone had told her she was beautiful, and Tawnyfoot felt her life flow back to her again._

 _"Yes, I really do."_

* * *

From then on, I met Skyclaw every single night on the border of our Clan territories, and nobody seemed to notice (or to care enough to betray me).

We became more than friends, and one day, I found myself expecting his kits.

* * *

 _"Skyclaw, I have news!" panted Tawnyfoot as she nuzzled her mate, once again meeting him during the dead of night._

 _"What is it, Tawnyfoot?" meowed Skyclaw, anxious._

 _"I'm expecting kits!"_

 _Skyclaw's eyes widened, and a grin slowly spread across his face. "That's wonderful! These are the best news I heard in moons!" he purred, full of happiness. "Oh, Tawnyfoot, I'm so happy..."_

 _"Me too," whispered Tawnyfoot, brushing her pelt against his. "But there is one problem..."_

 _"What is it? Tell me, everything will be all right," soothed Skyclaw._

 _"Well," started Tawnyfoot, "I don't want to raise my kits in TimberClan. I don't want them to have as miserable a life as I had!" she wailed, burrying her face in his fur._

 _"Does that mean you want to go and live in WoodClan with me?" murmured Skyclaw, eyes shining._

 _"No..." meowed Tawnyfoot, shaking her head. "I want to leave the Clans."_

* * *

Skyclaw was shocked at first, and thought he couldn't leave his family. But I told him that I would go anyways, even without him, and he finally agreed to go with me.

I didn't tell TimberClan, and I'm sure they didn't even care. They were probably happy to have gotten rid of me.

We went far, far away, and found a perfect home for our little family. Skyclaw missed the ways of the Clans, and decided to create a new Clan. We found willing rogues and loners, and soon established rules similar to our dear warrior code.

* * *

 _Skystar sat on what he called the Highbranch, and looked at his new Clan in pride. Newly made warriors and apprentices were busy building camp barriers, and his beloved mate Tawnyfoot was lying comfortably near the nursery. Two kits were play-fighting near her, and he could hear her purr from where he stood._

 _"I love you, Tawnyfoot," he whispered to the she-cat, though he knew she couldn't hear him. "You cannot imagine how beautiful you are. TimberClan lost a great cat when they decided to bully you."_

 _One of the kits suddenly tackled the other one over, and the latter admitted defeat by slumping his little shoulders._

I don't regret leaving WoodClan, _thought Skystar, looking at his kits in pride._ Thank you for the life you have given me, Tawnyfoot.

 _The winning kit yowled its victory, and Skystar looked at it closely. Spottedkit looked exactly like her mother, but would live a kit-hood full of love and friends, unlike Tawnyfoot._

 _He really did not regret leaving at all._

* * *

For the first time in my life, I knew that I had found the right path.

Skystar, Spottedkit and Greykit were all I ever wanted, and I can't wish for anything more.

I _was_ Tawnyfoot of TimberClan, but I am her no more.

My name is Tawnyfoot, mate of Skystar, mother of Spottedkit and Greykit, and conqueror of the stars.

* * *

 **Here was the second one-shot, Bullying! I hope you liked reading it ;) It's a little sad at first, I admit, but I love how everything turns out good for Tawnyfoot at the end XD**

 **If you have any questions on the story, don't hesitate to leave a review: I will answer to all of them at the beginning of the next one-shot.**

 **(And, of course, for those who haven't got any questions, you are also welcomed to leave a review :P)**

 **Stay tuned for the next one-shot, and don't forget to check out Tigerflight's story too!**

 **~Lightningfire**


	3. Caring

**Hello dear readers! It's been a while ^^**

 **Reviews:**

 **"Ethress" - Thanks! Usually, it takes me between 2 to 4 hours to write a 3k word chapter!**

 **"Blue741776" - Thank you so much!**

 **"Emberfur28" - Yep, she is like a Venus the cat! And thank you so much!**

* * *

One-shot n°3: Caring

Everyone always told me I was too caring for my own good. But I never quite understood what they meant until...until something happened.

* * *

 _"Hey, Sunblaze! Wanna go on patrol with us?"_

 _The fluffy golden tom lifted his head and his face lit up as he saw his brother, Firefang, calling to him. The flame-coloured tom was sitting near the fresh-kill pile next to his mate, Leafsong. Both brothers were madly in love with her, but the beautiful brown and white she-cat had clearly fallen for Firefang and not for him._

 _However, unlike many other cats in this situation, Sunblaze wasn't jealous at all. On the contrary, the two cats he loved the most in the world were happy, and that was what mattered most to him. More even than his own happiness._

 _"Yeah, sure!" meowed Sunblaze as he happily padded towards them. "Are we going hunting? Or just patrolling?" he inquired._

 _"Just patrolling," purred Leafsong as she stretched in the sun. "It's easier for lazy cats like Firefang," she joked, nudging her mate playfully._

 _"Hey! I'm not lazy," protested the bright ginger tom. "If anyone is, it's Pigeontail," he added in a whisper._

 _Sunblaze burst out in laughter at the mention of Pigeontail. The grey tabby tom thought of nothing other than sleep, and his warrior ceremony had been postponed by SIX whole moons because of his lack of attention and concentration during his training. Pigeontail had maybe caught only ten pieces of prey_ in total _since the beginning of his apprenticeship._

 _"Yeah, nobody can beat Pigeontail in laziness," snickered Sunblaze as all three of them padded out of camp._

 _"And even if we_ tried, _we wouldn't even manage that!" laughed Firefang. "I wonder how a cat can even_ survive _without going out at least once out of camp per day!"_

 _"Oh, stop mocking the poor tom," meowed Leafsong, trying to look stern. "He's done nothing to you guys."_

 _"Well, that's the point..." murmured Firefang dramatically, making his face as innocent as possible._

 _"Oh, shut up," meowed Leafsong, smiling despite herself._

* * *

I couldn't really imaging at that point that me _caring too much_ about them would lead to a disaster. Well, a 'funny' disaster that is.

But really, would you really believe someone if he or she told you that you would get in trouble by being _too_ caring? No, I don't really think so.

Well, maybe you would, but I didn't.

* * *

 _"So, Sunblaze," meowed Leafsong, trying to change the subject. "Since no trouble is happening near the borders, we have all the day to talk!"_

 _"True," smiled Sunblaze as the three cats settled on what RayClan called the Sunningstones. These were stones situated in the middle of their territory, and since it hardly rained where they lived, sunning there was a natural part of their lives._

 _"Well, tell us! How's it been going on with Sootwing?" pressed Firefang as he settled down comfortably on one of the highest stones._

 _"Sootwing?" replied the golden tom. "Pfft, you know it's an impossible mission..." he sighed. "She doesn't even want to look at me! And when I try to talk to her, she says she needs to go on patrol or I don't know where..."_

 _Since Firefang and Leafsong had become mates, Sunblaze had stopped padding after the beautiful brown and white she-cat, and had his eyes now set on Sootwing, the daughter of Falconstar, RayClan's leader._

 _"Aww," meowed Leafsong, eyes king. "Don't worry, she'll get over this attitude. And it's not you! She does that with every tom. Well, except those who already have mates that is. She's so pretty that everyone wants to be with her! I understand why she wants peace and calm."_

 _"Yes, you're right," sighed Sunblaze, though his gaze was filled with longing as they talked about the dark blue-grey she-cat. "But I'm scared that I'll never get to know her, let alone talk to her."_

 _"It'll happen brother," comforted Firefang. "I'm sure of it."_

 _"Thanks," purred the golden tom, eyes filled with gratitude towards his best friends. "And what about you?"_

 _Leafsong and Firefang exchanged a glance, before purring and laughing like kits full of energy._

 _"You'll never guess," meowed Firefang mysteriously._

 _"Go on, tell me!" laughed Sunblaze. "If I'll never guess, why make me guess?"_

 _"You win," agreed Firefang, swatting his paw on his brother's ear playfully. "Well, Leafsong, tell him the good news!"_

 _"I'm expecting kits!" purred Leafsong, eyes bright and full of joy. "Firefang's kits!"_

* * *

That was when everything turned wrong. Well, not quite wrong, but you'll see what I mean.

Of course, I was happy for them! Really, really happy! I was maybe even happier than them! But that's the point. That was exactly the point. I loved them too much, that I simply couldn't have anything happen to them while Leafsong was expecting.

* * *

 _"Kits?!" meowed Sunblaze, nearly jumping in the air in joy. "That's—that's wonderful! The best news I heard since you two became mates!"_

 _Leafsong purred and licked him on the head. "We knew you'd take it well," she meowed. "You're Firefang's brother, and my best friend. We're really happy, you know? We found out just yesterday."_

 _Sunblaze purred and pressed himself against his brother and his mate, letting the joy and happiness consume him._

 _But suddenly, realisation struck him._

 _"Leafsong!" he yowled, happiness suddenly changing to horror._

 _"What, Sunblaze?" meowed Leafsong, taken aback by this sudden reaction._

 _"Well, you're expecting kits, right?" he meowed hurriedly._

 _"Yes, that's what I just told you," replied the brown and white she-cat, looking very puzzled._

 _"What's the matter with you, Sunblaze?" added Firefang, standing protectively in front of his mate._

 _"You need to go back in camp at once! Go in the nursery, eat loads of prey!" yowled Sunblaze, as if possessed by another that wasn't him. "We can't have you wandering around with kits in your belly. You need to rest, and be protected at all times!"_

 _"What are you talking about?" murmured Leafsong, shocked by his change of character. "I'm fine, you know? I can take care of myself, and Firefang's here for me. I don't need the whole Clan to be on my heels! And look, Silvershine didn't move to the nursery until she even had her kits! And she fought a fox only half a moon before their birth!"_

 _"But—but that's exactly the point!" exclaimed Sunblaze, frantically turning around himself. "She fought a fox, and two of her four kits were stillborn! We can't have that happen to yours, can we?"_

 _Leafsong was still for a moment, but Firefang was the one to address him back._

 _"Sunblaze, stop thinking about the others for once!" he growled. "Leafsong's fine, and there's no fox around! Silvershine was unlucky, and maybe it wasn't even the fault of the fox that two of her kits were born dead!"_

 _"I know it is!" hissed Sunblaze. "And I don't want your kits to die!" he wailed._

 _"Sunblaze, stop it!" growled his brother, lashing his tail angrily. "Stop caring about everyone as if they were idiots! We know what to do, and Leafsong won't be the first queen to have_ all of her kits _born healthy and_ _strong, without needing to stop being a warrior so soon!"_

 _"You don't understand!" wailed Sunblaze, as he turned around and ran away from them._

Stupid, stupid, stupid! _he thought as he raced blindly through the forest._ Why are they so stupid?! Leafsong's kits have to be born healthy and strong! Why risk their lives, and maybe even hers?! There could be a badger nearby, or even another fox, and she will be slower than before with the weight she has now!

* * *

I really thought that Leafsong and Firefang were wrong, and that I was in the right. Earlier, I couldn't even understand how Pigeontail could stand not going out of camp during the day, and now I wanted Leafsong to suffer the same 'fate'! But I really thought that it was the right thing to do... For her, for the safety of my brother's kits.

Little did I know that my confusion and anger would lead me to _this._

* * *

 _Sunblaze ran and ran, oblivious to his friends' cries to come back. Blindly racing through the forest, the handsome golden tom didn't notice the tree that was in front of him, and crashed right into it._

 _Dazed by the shock, Sunblaze stumbled, but tried to regain his balance. Dizzy and head wavering, he walked towards what he thought was a stream, and bent down to put his head in the water to try to regain his full consciousness._

 _But what he met wasn't water, but emptiness. Sunblaze yowled as he plunged head first in the gorge that he had been told so many times not to approach during his apprenticeship._

 _Flailing his paws helplessly in the air, Sunblaze didn't notice the horrified gaze of a blue-grey she-cat who was standing a few fox-lengths away from where he had just stood before falling. Nor did he hear calling to him as he fell and fell, rapidly nearing the flow of the river underneath him._

 _Sunblaze struck the water, but did not make a sound as he felt himself being dragged away by the current. Black dots obscured his vision before he lost_ _consciousness completely._

* * *

Yes, that was exactly what happened. I fell in the gorge like a stupid cat, running away blindly from a stupid argument. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was _I_ who was stupid, and not them.

That was when I understood _why_ cats always told me I was too caring for my own good.

It had led me to a broken leg, bruises everywhere, a half-conscious mind for a few days, but especially, _especially_ something else which actually wasn't that bad.

Not bad at all. Maybe even wonderful.

The biggest gift of my life.

* * *

 _"Will he be all right?"_

 _Sunblaze lifted his head to find himself in an obscure den which scented of herbs and honey. He couldn't see very clearly, as his vision had not fully recovered yet, but he noticed a slender shape talking to a smaller one, a few tail lengths away from him._

 _"Hello?" he meowed tentatively, trying to get up to his feet._

 _"Whoa whoa whoa, Sunblaze!" meowed the smaller shape, running towards him. "Don't get up! You aren't recovered at all yet. You might get even more hurt if you try to press things up."_

 _Reluctantly, the golden tom lay down and nodded in thanks as the small cat helped him. He could see more clearly now, and saw that the little cat was actually all white, with black patches covering his body._

Oh, yes, _he thought, grimacing as his wounds stung._ Of course. I'm in the medicine cat den, and this cat is Cloudpatch. But who was the other one talking to him?

 _With his brain still floating around in his head, as it seemed to Sunblaze, he had difficulty recognising the other cat._

 _"Thanks, Cloudpatch," he meowed, realising that he hadn't thanked him orally._

 _"You were unconscious for two whole days, Sunblaze," meowed the medicine cat as he started changing a poultice on the warrior's back. "You fell down from really high, and could easily have died."_

 _Sunblaze nodded, a little ashamed of himself at his clumsiness and idiocy. Why had he run like that as if he was being chased by a hoard of hungry wolves?_

 _"Luckily for you, Sootwing saw you and called for help immediately. Leafsong and Firefang were nearby, and all three of them rescued you from the river," continued Cloudpatch. "You were in a pretty bad state, and you were on the verge of sinking in the water. You can thank them later on," he meowed. "But why in the name of StarClan did you fall in there?!"_

 _"That's a long story," murmured Sunblaze, as his eyesight gradually began to appear again. But he was too bewildered to talk: Sootwing had saved him! She had been the one to see him first, and had saved him! He couldn't believe his ears._

 _"Are you sure it was Sootwing who saw me?" he asked the medicine cat._

 _"Of course I am!" laughed the white and black tom. "She was so scared you were going to die, maybe even more than your own brother. She checked on you whenever she had the time to come here. Actually, I was talking to her right now. Do you want to see her?"_

 _Sunblaze stared at the tom, mouth agape. "See her?" he stammered. "Of course! Yes, yes of course!" he added hastily._

* * *

I really couldn't believe what had happened to me. I had nearly died, but Sootwing had been worried sick about me, and that was something I thought less likely to happen than me dying soon.

On top of my buzzing-and-not-really-healed-mind, I had butterflies floating inside my head.

What a story.

* * *

 **Two moons later...**

* * *

 _"Hey, Sunblaze! Wanna go on patrol with me?"_

 _The fluffy golden tom lifted his head and his face lit up as he saw his mate, Sootwing, calling to him._

 _"YES! I'm coming!" he yowled as he rushed over to the blue-grey she-cat as she smiled at him with all her teeth._

 _The pair walked silently in the woods, and Sootwing stopped as they neared Sunningstones._

 _"Sunblaze, I'm expecting kits," she purred suddenly._

 _The golden tom's eyes widened and he jumped in the air excitedly. "Really?!" he yowled in joy. "That's awesome! These are even better news than when Leafsong told me she was expecting!"_

 _"Don't tell her that!" laughed the beautiful blue-grey she-cat as she looked at him with eyes full of love. "She won't like it!"_

 _"No, I won't," purred Sunblaze, licking her on the head. "But our kits will be the best in the whole world," he murmured, mischief visible in his gaze._

* * *

I knew I couldn't make the same mistake as last time, as I knew miracles couldn't really happen twice. But I really don't regret falling into that gorge.

Maybe I cared too much about the others, but it _did_ bring me the biggest joy of my life.

Because would I really mates with Sootwing right now if not for my disastrous fall?

* * *

 **Hope you liked reading this one-shot! It was fun to write :P**

 **~Lightning**


	4. Determination

**Sorry for the delay! I had a lot of things to do... But here is the next one-shot, Determination!**

 **Reviews:**

 **"Tigerflight" - Yeah, I saw what you meant after reading yours! And thank you so much!**

 **"Blue741776" - Yeah XD And thanks!**

 **"Appledawn" - Thank you so much!**

* * *

One-shot n°4: Determination

As a kit, I was the runt of the litter. As an apprentice, I was the small one, who everyone thought couldn't leap to the lowest branch of the tiniest tree. As a warrior, I was the undersized one, who looked hardly older than a new apprentice. But here I am, now deputy of my Clan. I am going to become Maplestar one day: do you know why?

The answer is simple: because of determination.

* * *

 _"Maplekit, you're too slow! We'll never win if you never manage to catch the moss-ball!"_

 _The white and ginger patched she-kit growled as her littermates caught the ball before she even had the time to arrive to the spot where it had just been thrown._

 _"It's not my fault if I'm smaller than all of you!" she meowed to her brother, Rowankit, as he started battling her other brother, Snowkit, so as not to let him get the ball._

 _"Well, grow up, then!" meowed Snowkit between kicks._

 _Maplekit watched in silence as her brothers tussled each other, before Rowankit finally pinned his brother to the ground._

 _"I can't!" hissed Maplekit once she knew that Snowkit could hear her fully. "I don't have the power to speed time, nor can I grow in size instantly!" she added, sheathing and unsheathing her claws in annoyance._

 _"Too bad, Maplekit," meowed Snowkit, a genuine compassionate smile on his face. "You'll have to wait, then."_

 _Maplekit growled at her brother's comment and flipped around furiously, not bothering to look where she went._

 _CRASH!_

 _The little she-kit collided with a much bigger shape, who let out a startled yelp as it nearly stumbled over the undersized Maplekit._

 _"Maplekit!" exclaimed the cat in which the white and ginger she-cat had run into. "I didn't even see you! You're so small I could've walked right over you!"_

 _Maplekit glared at the speaker, shock and anger obscuring her gaze._

 _"Well, you're so big that you walk like a lumbering badger, Nettlepaw!" retorted Maplekit, glaring at him with all the force she could muster._

 _But the cat only laughed. "Feisty little one, aren't you?" he joked. "You'll have to learn respect when you become an apprentice, if you ever become one..."_

 _Nettlepaw hadn't meant for Maplekit to hear his last words, and was startled when the ginger and white she-kit spun around and ran out of his way._

 _Biting back angry tears, Maplekit hid behind the nursery and curled her tail around her body in a tight ball._

 _"If nobody thinks I'm capable of becoming a warrior, then I'll show them that I don't even need them," she murmured to nobody in particular. "I'm going to show all of these stupid cats that size doesn't count. I'm going to be the best warrior the Clans have ever seen, and if I have to, I'll do it alone!"_

* * *

My family and friends were nice with me: that wasn't the point. Some even encouraged me, but I knew that nobody believed that I would ever become a warrior. I was much too small to even consider climbing trees, and everyone thought that I was too light to ever manage to beat an enemy, or catch prey twice my size.

So when my littermates and I reached the age of six moons, our leader, Ravenstar, asked me if I wanted to become a medicine cat. Of course, I refused, and she told me that I had to wait another two moons to become a warrior apprentice, since most of our territory consisted of high slopes and obstacles that were too high for me.

I agreed to this, though I was fuming inside myself, and decided to break the code to practice.

Even though I was only a kit, and very small at that, I sneaked out of camp during the night and developed my hind-leg muscles, so as to be able to leap higher than any other cat. I worked only on that, every night, for the first moon, and then practiced both hunting and fighting moves alone, which Snowpaw and Rowanpaw always showed to me at camp.

I never showed them or anyone what I had achieved, and nobody seemed to notice the strength that I had slowly build up during these nights.

The day of my apprenticeship finally came, and my mother and father seemed scared that I was going to be eaten by a hawk or a fox on my first day out.

* * *

 _"Maplekit, from this moment until you become a warrior, you shall be known as Maplepaw. Brambleshade will be your mentor."_

 _Maplepaw touched noses with Brambleshade, who was a new warrior, but known for her speed and strength._

Ravenstar choose well for me, _thought the ginger and white apprentice, for once feeling happy._ She's going to be able to teach me how to strengthen myself, and she's small herself, so she should have many things to teach me.

 _"Maplepaw! Maplepaw!" chanted the Clan as apprentice and mentor padded towards the entrance of the camp._

 _A pure white she-cat raced towards them, fear visible on her face._

 _"Wait, Brambleshade!" she called, running towards them._

 _Brambleshade and Maplepaw turned around, and Maplepaw let out a sigh as she received affectionate licks from her mother._

 _"Yes, Icefur?" replied the tortoiseshell mentor, sounding calm._

 _"Promise me that you'll take care of my kit?" meowed the white she-cat, her green eyes wide with apprehension. "She's so small I'm scared of her being injured or killed..."_

 _"Of course," replied Brambleshade, though Maplepaw could see a hint of annoyance in her mentor's eyes._

 _"I'm fine, Icefur, really," meowed Maplepaw, wriggling out of her mother's grasp. "Why would I even encounter trouble on my first day out? I'm eight moons old, you know?"_

 _Icefur sighed, and let go of her daughter, though fear still lingered in her gaze._

 _"Okay," she meowed as a bright ginger tom joined her._

 _"Be safe," meowed the tom as Maplepaw turned to follow her mentor out of camp._

 _"Yes, Gingerclaw," sighed Maplepaw as she left her parents._

* * *

I was excited to show Brambleshade what I had mastered, and I was sure that she was going to be impressed at my skill. My first day out as an apprentice was weird at first, but turned out great nonetheless.

* * *

 _"So, Maplepaw," meowed Brambleshade as she turned towards her apprentice, once they had visited the entire territory. "I see that you have managed to leap over the obstacles of our territory. That's not bad, considering your size, but a warrior's job isn't to jump. You need to learn how to hunt and fight as well as any cat, if you want to become a warrior."_

 _Maplepaw looked at her mentor, hurt lingering in her gaze._

I thought that I wasn't apprenticed in time because I was too small to scout WispClan's territory... So that's why I worked on the force of my hind-legs, _she thought._

But I'll show her that I haven't practiced just that, _thought Maplepaw, gaze hardening in determination._ She'll be impressed.

 _"Since we have visited the whole territory, and still have time before sunset, I'll show you a few battle moves and see if you can copy me," meowed Brambleshade._

 _Brambleshade showed her the basic battle moves, before letting her apprentice perform them. Maplepaw did as she was instructed, and couldn't help but smile in satisfaction as she noticed the impressed look on her mentor's face as soon as she had finished._

 _"Well..." meowed Brambleshade, in a loss of words. "That...was good. Really good even! I'm impressed."_

 _Maplepaw purred, pleased that her mentor had_ _acknowledged her technique, a smug look plastered on her face._

And she thought I was stupid, _thought Maplepaw as Brambleshade showed her a few more fighting and hunting techniques._ She thought I had only learned to leap like all WispClan cats can as soon as they are born. But what she didn't know was that I had practiced _everything._ Not only jumping, but also hunting and fighting. It was hard, but definitely worth it.

* * *

Brambleshade and I told nobody of my skill and advance on the other apprentices, and she continued working hard in making me the best warrior possible. I owe her a lot.

And when she thought that I was ready to become a warrior, Snowpaw and Rowanpaw still had a moon of training left. Nevertheless, Ravenstar didn't trust Brambleshade when she told her to assess me so soon. She didn't think it possible that a cat as small as me could make it to warrior status, with only three moons of apprenticeship! But Brambleshade persisted, and Ravenstar agreed on watching me perform my final assessment.

She didn't tell the Clan of course, because she thought I wouldn't pass it, but surprisingly enough, _for her,_ I did. I caught five pieces of prey (okay, it was green-leaf, but I had a squirrel, a rabbit, two shrews and a pigeon, which was quite an impressive catch), and even managed to unbalance Ravenstar in the fighting part. As Brambleshade had taught me, I used my small size as an advantage and startled her a few times with my speed.

I didn't win, but neither did Ravenstar, and she called a draw as the sun set.

Our black leader was amazed, and congratulated Brambleshade on what she had taught me. For the first time in my life, I was glowing with well earned pride.

But my warrior ceremony didn't turn out the way I hoped it would.

* * *

 _"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather in the clearing to hear my words!"_

 _Maplepaw nearly jumped in excitement as she heard Ravenstar's words, and returned Brambleshade's wink as she caught her mentor's eye. She had told nobody, not even her parents, and expected a burst of questions from them as soon as the ceremony was finished. But she didn't care. This moment was_ hers, _and no one else's._

 _"Maplepaw, please come forward."_

 _Shocked gasps escaped from the clearing at those words, but Maplepaw just stared straight at Ravenstar, not bothering to listen to the shocked meows of her brothers, especially Rowanpaw's._

 _"StarClan, this apprentice has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn."_

 _Maplepaw's chest puffed out in pride, and she eyed her mother as the white she-cat stared at her in disbelief, though joy was clearly visible in her eyes._

 _"Maplepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"_

 _"I do." Maplepaw's answer rang clearly in the clearing, and she sneaked second glance at her parents, whose eyes glimmered like thousands of stars, overpowering the slight doubt that had veiled them only heartbeats before._

 _"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," meowed Ravenstar. "From this moment on, you shall be known as Maplenose. StarClan honours your courage and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WispClan!"_

 _These words were met with silence, and Brambleshade was the first to yowl her name. After a while, a few other cats joined in, and Maplenose relaxed as all the Clan finally caved in._

 _"Maplenose! Maplenose!" The chants were timid and quiet at first, but grew louder and louder as Icefur, Gingerclaw and Snowpaw joined in, followed by Rowanpaw and the rest of the Clan._

 _The newly named Maplenose lifted her head to the sky, her tiny chest puffed out, and let the yowls of congratulation sink in._

Courage and determination, _she thought as she echoed Ravenstar's words._ Yes, this is really what it took for me to achieve this. Thank you, StarClan, for the force and will you have given me.

* * *

My brothers got their warrior names half a moon after me, and our bond never ceased to grow. Rowanpelt was reluctant to talk to me at first, and didn't understand how a _runt_ like me could have gotten her warrior name before him, but Snowtuft made him realise that we were littermates, and that they had been wrong about me all along.

* * *

 _"I'm sorry for the lack of faith we had in you, Maplenose," meowed Snowtuft, shuffling his paws in embarrassment._

 _"It's fine," replied the ginger and white she-cat, the distinct ginger patch on her muzzle shining in the sunlight. "The past is the past, and it is not like you have been mean to me during our kit hood. We can start all over again if you want," she purred._

 _Snowtuft's eyes shone with joy and excitement, and he turned towards Rowanpelt, who was sitting with his brow furrowed a little behind._

 _"Oh, come on, lazy cat," laughed Snowtuft, nudging his brother. "It can't be that hard to say sorry!"_

 _Rowanpelt mumbled something inaudible, and Maplenose caught the word 'sorry' in it. Bursting out in laughter, Snowtuft and Maplenose watched as their brother looked at them with an expression worth a thousand warrior ceremonies._

This is one of the best moments of my life, _thought Maplenose, as the three siblings padded out of camp, as if they had always been close._

* * *

I became deputy eight seasons after, when Mousetail retired due to a leg injury he got during a border fight. I am still small, despite my age, and am now the size of small twelve moon old cat.

But it actually turns out in my advantage most of the time. During fights or skirmishes with the other Clans, the enemy always picks on me, thinking that the fight will be short and easy. Little do they know that they have in front of them one of the most skilled cats WispClan has ever seen!

* * *

 **Again, sorry for the delay, but I hope you still enjoyed reading this one-shot!**

 **Don't forget to go and read Tigerflight's Determination! It's awesome, and easily the best she wrote (in my opinion)!**

 **~Lightning**


	5. Endurance

**Thank you for the reviews, and here is Endurance ;)**

* * *

One-shot n°5: Endurance

 _"Cloudpaw, from this moment, you shall be known as Cloudchaser. StarClan honours your swiftness and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of BreezeClan!"_

 _"Cloudchaser! Cloudchaser!"_

* * *

I have been named after my worst fear. Well, not my worst fear anymore. Maybe even one of my strengths now. But my name will always be a reminder of the difficult times I had during my apprenticeship, and my ability to struggle with _speed_ and _endurance_ together.

Seems like a weird thing to be afraid of, no?

Well, let me tell you why.

Firstly, _speed_ and _endurance_ are the two most important terms in BreezeClan. As a matter of fact, I had both.

But separately.

* * *

 _"Come on, Cloudpaw, you can't be tired already! We've only ran half way to our goal!"_

 _"But I_ am _tired, Ivystorm! I can't run anymore!" panted Cloudpaw, struggling to catch up with his mentor._

 _"You can't run anymore? How? Every apprentice your age can go as fast as you, but do thrice this distance!" replied Ivystorm, eyes wide and exasperated._

 _"Well, I'm not 'every apprentice my age'!" retorted Cloudpaw, stopping to run entirely. "I'm Cloudpaw, and I'm tired."_

 _"Too bad then," hissed his mentor, "because we won't go back to camp before we finished this lap around the camp."_

 _Sighing, Cloudpaw heaved himself up, and trotted towards where Ivystorm had stopped, and past her._

 _"Well, that's better," sighed Ivystorm, "but dinner will be very very far away if you continue at that pace!"_

 _"Too bad then," imitated Cloudpaw, shrugging as if he didn't care about the juicy mouse he had spotted on the pile earlier. "Because. I. can't. go. faster."_

 _"But you just ran all the way there really fast!" cried Ivystorm, desperately trying to find a way to make her apprentice go faster. "How come you can't anymore?"_

 _"_ _Because I've already spent all my energy_ _!" roared Cloudpaw, out of himself with where this never-ending dialogue was going._

 _"You realise you'll never be able to become a warrior if you run only half a lap before crumbling on the ground?"_

* * *

I knew, I knew.

To my credit, I actually could do three laps...but not fast enough. And Ivystorm knew it would take me at least thrice the time it took the others to pass the running assessment.

So we trained. And trained.

And running became my worst fear.

Can you imagine?! A BreezeClan warrior, scared of what makes us who we are?

* * *

 _"Cloudpaw! Quicker!"_

 _Cloudpaw panted as he ran, steadily but slowly. He couldn't! He couldn't do it! Ivystorm was too strict with him. She wouldn't understand his misery. Of course he would have gone quicker if he could! Of course he would have done ten laps at light-speed if he could! But endurance just wasn't in his veins._

 _..._

 _"Half a day?" hissed Ivystorm as Cloudpaw slumped to the ground. "Half a day to run three laps around the camp?"_

 _Shaking with exhaustion, Cloudpaw nodded._

 _"That's the quickest you can manage?" continued Ivystorm, padding to and fro, tail lashing behind her. "You're a moon before your warrior assessment and it took you_ half a day _to do the regular run?"_

 _"But I improved!" protested Cloudpaw, his paws numb with exhaustion. "Last time I ran, I did two laps in as much time!"_

 _"Last time you ran," retorted his mentor, "was a_ moon _ago. I told you to train for a moon, and you barely improved! What will I do with you, Cloudpaw?"_

 _Cloudpaw hung his head in shame, but did not answer. Ivystorm sighed._

 _"Well, since running and running doesn't help you, we'll have to find someway else to improve this... lack of endurance you have," meowed his mentor. "We have one moon, Cloudpaw, and by that time, I want you to do those three laps in half the time it took you today."_

* * *

Ivystorm taught me how to train my leg muscles. It was really hard, and Ivystorm requested I jump at least ten times with a precise goal in head before resting. And whenever I couldn't jump high enough, I would start again.

I hated those training sessions. I knew they would help me run faster and longer, but I thought it was unfair that I had to do all this horrible training while my two sisters got to hunt and do battle training.

But Ivystorm never got tired of my complaints, and even when I started being really moody, she continued pushing me. More and more every day.

Eventually, time passed by, and five days before my warrior assessment, Ivystorm took me out of camp to talk to me.

* * *

 _"Cloudpaw," she started, a little hesitantly. "I know you hate me for all these horrible training sessions, but you probably don't realise how far you've gotten."_

 _Cloudpaw refused to even blink, staring at her with his blue eyes unflinching._

I don't care what she tells me, _thought the white tom._ Anyway, I'll never become a warrior. We barely had time to practice fighting because she took all the time we had to make me 'stronger'. I can't even see the difference between before and now.

 _As if reading his mind, Ivystorm snorted._ _"I know what you're thinking, Cloudpaw. You're wondering if you're far behind the other apprentices in battle training. Well, let me tell you something. What we did this past moon wasn't only to improve your running skills, but also your fighting and hunting skills. Would you believe me if I told you that you could probably beat Silverpaw in battle training?"_

 _Cloudpaw stared at Ivystorm. "Of course not," he snapped. "I'm just a useless, good-for-nothing tom. And you think I'm going to become a warrior just because my muscles are stronger?"_

 _"That's what you don't understand," replied Ivystorm, not loosing this calmness that was her strength. "Not only do you have more power in your legs, but you learned to train without stopping until you reached the goal I asked you to reach. Do you realise what this means?"_

 _"No."_

 _"Mousebrain," laughed Ivystorm. "This means you have_ endurance, _Cloudpaw. This means you will be able to do your laps as fast as you want_ without tiring. _And hunt as much as you want_ without tiring. _And fight as long as you want_ with all your strength. _Fighting isn't only learning moves. It's being able to replicate them, yes, but also to stand up against your opponent and be the last to tire. In an even match, who do you think will win?"_

 _Cloudpaw stayed silent._

 _"The one with endurance. And you've got it," continued Ivystorm. "You don't trust me, I know that. But that's only because we did nothing but exercices for the past moon. Before that, I was desperate for you to run quicker, and I hadn't realised that your problem was just that you didn't practice enough. You have so much potential, Cloudpaw, that you don't even realise how far you can go. And I understood then, a moon ago, that your only problem was that you thought you would never attain your goal. So you stopped. You stopped when only a brink of fatigue got a grip on you. And you thought this was your limit."_

I don't believe her, _thought Cloudpaw, though a hint of a doubt started blossoming in his mind._ How can only a moon of weird exercices can make me run faster and longer than the others? Beat my sister in combat training? Even _hunt_ better? I don't even see the link with endurance and hunting. That's just ridiculous.

 _"Well, what are you waiting for?"_

 _Cloudpaw jerked out of his thoughts. "What?"_

 _"Your head is full of fluff," laughed Ivystorm. "Don't you want to see who's right?"_

 _"Oh, okay," sighed Cloudpaw._

Nonsense, I'll barely be able to do three laps before sun high. I'll never make it, _thought the white tom, slumping his shoulders in sadness._

 _"Hey," whispered Ivystorm, "just do your best, you'll see."_

 _Comforted by his mentor, Cloudpaw forgot his grudge against her for a moment, letting all her words sink in._

Maybe she _is_ right, _he thought, as he padded beside his mentor towards where the lap started._ Maybe I haven't been confident enough. Maybe I should have trusted her more.

 _"I'll wait for you here," meowed Ivystorm. "Do as much as you can, and stop at sun high. Then, we'll see."_

 _Ivystorm was smiling, and Cloudpaw couldn't help but think about how wonderful a mentor she was, even if he wasn't good enough._

I'm sorry for being so mean with you, Ivystorm, _he thought as he started running._ Even if I'm still lousy at everything, I'll never forget all you did for me.

* * *

I couldn't believe my eyes when Ivystorm told me I had done four laps in less than the time required to do three for the assessment. I thought she was lying to me. I hadn't counted them while I ran, hadn't even looked at my mentor when I passed three times in front of her. I had no way to know she was right.

* * *

 _"You're joking," meowed Cloudpaw, panting._

 _"I'm not," purred Ivystorm. "You really did four laps. And if you don't trust me, you'll see at your warrior assessment. If I lied, you can tell Poppystar that I tortured you for nothing, and that I was a horrible mentor."_

 _Cloudpaw's eyes widened. "But that's not true! I'm sorry for the way I acted with you, Ivystorm. You're a wonderful mentor, even if I hated those sessions with you," he exclaimed, blushing._

 _"Then trust me," replied Ivystorm, eyes full of laughter as she took in his expression._

* * *

Well, I didn't beat Silverpaw in the battle assessment. But it ended with a tie. I hadn't had much practice with the other apprentices, and I always thought I wasn't good because Ivystorm always beat me.

Only then did I realise that she was just the _best warrior in the Clan,_ and that not even Poppystar could beat her.

Hunting didn't go so poorly either. I had always been a good hunter anyway, and I knew I would always pass that assessment. But my sister's mentors were still amazed with all the prey I caught. I still remember the smug smile Ivystorm had when I came back, two squirrels and four mice in my jaws. Silverpaw and Juniperpaw's mentors hadn't believed I could pass, and thought I would have to wait at least two more moons to become a warrior.

Then the running came.

Juniperpaw went first. She did three laps in less than a quarter-sun. Silverpaw did even better. I was shaking when my turn came, but Ivystorm was sending me encouraging glances.

 _I can't fail her,_ I had thought as I prepared to run. _I've done so well until now, and I have to show Poppystar that Ivystorm's the best mentor ever. I owe her that._

Ivystorm had been right all along.

Even when I had lost faith in myself, she had been there to support me, to do anything she could to make me the best warrior possible. Even when I started acting horribly towards her, she continued training me, continued pushing me. Even when she knew I thought she was just torturing me, she never stopped having faith in my improvement.

I owe her everything.

* * *

 _"Cloudpaw, you're so good!" purred Juniperpaw as the three apprentices padded back to camp. "I never realised you ran so quickly. And Silverpaw didn't even beat you in battle training, though everyone knows she's the best!"_

 _Cloudpaw purred, his heart warming up. "I never thought I would manage to become a warrior at the same time as you both," he admitted. "Ivystorm's the one who made that possible."_

 _"You were so lucky to have her as a mentor," sighed Silverpaw, joining them. "Owlfang's just so cold."_

 _"But he's a great mentor too," protested Cloudpaw, even though he knew Ivystorm was way better. "Look at you! He trained you really well."_

 _"I know, but I wish my mentor was as nice as Ivystorm. Training wasn't really fun, and I never got any praise."_

* * *

It was only when Silverpaw told me that that I realised how lucky I had been. Those training sessions with Ivystorm maybe had been really, _really_ tiring, but my mentor had always been encouraging and nice.

* * *

 _"Ivystorm?"_

 _"Yes, Cloudchaser?"_

 _"Thank you for everything you've done for me," purred Cloudchaser, having managed to escape his mother's grasp. Let her torture Juniperbranch and Silverfur with her congratulations and licks all over the face. "I'll never be grateful enough."_

 _"Oh, Cloudchaser," sighed Ivystorm. "You know you've been a very difficult apprentice, hum? You gave me a lot of trouble."_

 _"I knowww, I'm so sorry for every mean thing I said to you," meowed Cloudchaser, hanging his head in embarrassment._

 _Ivystorm purred. "I forgive you," she meowed, touching him on the head with her muzzle. "You've made me so proud today... Have you seen the looks on your sisters' mentors' faces? They were dumbfounded!"_

 _"Yes, it was awesome!" laughed Cloudchaser, purring louder and louder. "And I really didn't think I could do it until today. You know, I really thought you were lying when you told me I had done four laps..."_

 _"Well, now that you know I was right, I want you to treat my fleas and bring me food while I lounge in the sun! And I want to watch you run and run without stopping every day!" meowed Ivystorm, a_ _mischievous glint in her eyes._

 _Cloudchaser's eyes widened in horror, and Ivystorm burst out laughing._

 _"I'm joking,_ _mousebrain," purred his former mentor. "But I don't want to watch you being lazy now that you don't have me on your back!"_

 _"I won't," purred Cloudchaser. "I'll practice every day, and I'll try to be as good a mentor as you when I have an apprentice!"_

 _"Ambitious little one, already thinking about an apprentice," snickered Ivystorm. "Well, enjoy yourself while I take all this free time I now have to hunt juicy pieces of prey!"_

 _Both cats laughed and laughed, until Silverfur dragged Cloudchaser to their vigil spot._

 _"You're so weird, brother," she meowed as they padded towards Juniperbranch, who was waiting for them near the camp entrance. "Who sticks out with their mentor right after their warrior ceremony?"_

* * *

I do.

* * *

 **Don't forget to check out Tigerflight's one-shot!**

 **~Lightningfire**


	6. Felony

One-shot n°6: Felony

"I hate you, Pineshade," snarled Thistlerose quietly, leaping on her sister from behind. "For everything you've done to me, you deserve to die."

Pineshade didn't even have the time to let out a strangled yelp before she was pinned to the ground, Thistlerose's paws choking the breath out of her. The ginger and brown she-cat looked at her sister helplessly, as Thistlerose's amber-green eyes gleamed hungrily above her.

"Look at you, pathetic cat," hissed the pale ginger tabby, her stripes like claw marks glinting in the late sun. "Unable to move at my paws. Who would have thought our brave, intelligent deputy would fall like that? With no means to save herself?"

Pineshade let out a gurgling sound, her breath slowly leaving her.

"Pathetic, really," snickered Thistlerose, without unfastening her grip on her sister. "But you know what? Even if I did release you, there would be nobody, nobody to answer your cries."

At those words, Pineshade went limp, and her eyes closed before opening again, staring at Thistlerose like twin suns of power.

"Your time is finished, Pineshade," laughed Thistlerose, pressing on the red she-cat's throat. "And your death will pay all the debts you owe me. Farewell, sister."

The light slowly died out of Pineshade's amber eyes as Thistlerose pressed harder and harder. A few heartbeats later, no resistance opposed Thistlerose, but the ginger tabby waited another few heartbeats before releasing the pressure on her sister's neck.

Pineshade was dead.

"We had promised each other, Pineshade, and you took it all for yourself," whispered Thistlerose as she looked at the inanimate body before her. "That was the price to pay."

...

"Pineshade is dead!"

Thistlerose burst into the WinterClan camp, wailing like a lost kit. "Pineshade is dead!"

At once, every single head snapped out.

"What?" hissed a white and black tom, his green eyes unbelieving. "How could she have died? Where is her body?"

"I—we were hunting near the gorge, and Pineshade spotted a squirrel just at the edge," stammered Thistlerose. The she-cat hung her head. "I warned her, but it was too late. She caught the squirrel and slipped. They fell together..."

An anguished wail escaped from a she-cat, not far behind the tom who had spoken. The black and white tom was speechless.

"I'm sorry, Nightsnow," sobbed Thistlerose, bowing her head. "I could do nothing to save her."

The black and white tom called Nightsnow flipped around and stalked towards the warriors' den, shouldering his way past the throng of cats, eyes open wide in sadness and terror.

A broad-shouldered brown tabby tom then jumped onto the small treestump near the middle of the clearing, calling to the already gathered cats.

"Cats of WinterClan," he meowed, as all heads turned towards him. "Today is a sad day: Pineshade has left us for StarClan. We will mourn her, but life has to move on."

Heads bowed at those words, and Thistlerose padded towards the she-cat who had wailed, pressing herself against her. The she-cat returned the gesture, but silent tears continued to flow down her face.

"I say these words before the spirit of Pineshade, so that she may hear and approve my choice," continued the brown tom, staring at the skies. "Thistlerose will be the new deputy of WinterClan."

Thistlerose's head snapped upwards, and she stared at the brown leader in surprise and content. Bowing her head to the Clan, Thistlerose murmured, "I am honoured by this choice, Reedstar, and I will do anything I can to live up to my sister's reputation. Pineshade will not regret the choice you have made."

Whispers of congratulations rose from the gathered cats, as the Clan chanted Thistlerose's name.

Only Nightsnow was not present, consumed by the death of his beloved mate, but Thistlerose knew he would congratulate her soon enough. After all, they _had_ been close before he chose Pineshade over her.

 _I never thought it would be that easy,_ thought the ginger tabby as she soaked in the praise of her clanmates. _Nobody suspects... Not even Pineshade knew I hated her until today._

 _How ironic that she had to die, when she was only at the beginning of having everything._

 _The tide has turned._

* * *

 **A few seasons before...**

* * *

"Pinekit, wait for me!"

Pinekit turned at the sound of Thistlekit's tiny voice, laughing as her sister tried to jump on the log but failed, having to heave herself clumsily on the smooth bark.

"It's not my fault your legs are shorter," sniffed Pinekit, "and we need to go quicker if we want to explore the whole forest before WinterClan notices we've disappeared!"

"But that's not fair," whined Thistlekit as she padded beside her sister, who had slowed her pace. "Why are you stronger and better than me all the time?"

At those words, Pinekit's expression softened. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll become just as strong as me in a few moons," she purred.

"Really?" Thistlekit's eyes were wide and hopeful.

"Yeah, really," laughed Pinekit, eyes glimmering brightly. "Now, come on! Race you to that tree!"

"But you'll win," retorted Thistlekit.

"Are you sure?" replied her sister, smirking. "Or are you just saying that because you're too scared to loose?"

"I'm not scared!" yowled Thistlekit, tail wriggling in excitement. "I dare you to beat me!"

"Well, _I_ dare you to beat _me_!" laughed Pinekit, as she shot towards the tree.

Thistlekit followed her sister as fast as she could, but Pinekit's longer legs and shorter fur helped to gain speed and avoid obstacles. By the time Thistlekit arrived, Pinekit was already waiting for her, her pants not as hard as her sister's.

"See? You're always stronger," whined Thistlekit. "It's not fair at all! Why can't I be good at something?"

"You'll be good at everything when you'll be an apprentice!" replied Pinekit, putting her tail on her sister's back reassuringly. "Its just that it takes you more time than me to learn. But you'll see, I'm sure your build will be much more useful in something else!"

...

"Thistlekit, from this moment until you will become a warrior, you shall be known as Thistlepaw! Spottedjay will be your mentor!"

"Pinepaw! Thistlepaw! Pinepaw! Thistlepaw!"

Thistlepaw's chest was puffed in pride as the Clan chanted her new name to the sky. And Spottedjay! She had gotten Spottedjay, one of the best warriors, as a mentor! Nothing could have gone better. Sharing a glance with Pinepaw, Thistlepaw grinned wider and let the praise soak in.

...

"Thistlepaw, this is really good! You excel in fighting!" meowed Spottedjay, a few moons into Thistlepaw's training.

Unable to run quick due to her physic, and hunt well because of her clumsiness, Thistlepaw had worked hard and hard to become the best fighter she could.

 _"I'm sure your build will be much more useful in something else!"_

Pinepaw had been right. All along.

...

"Thistlepaw?"

"Yes?"

"Are you all right?"

"..."

"Hey, come on, we can talk if you want," murmured Pinepaw, popping her head inside the apprentices' den where Thistlepaw lay, tail drooping and head low.

"In the woods?"

"Yes, nobody will listen to us," nodded Pinepaw.

"Okay, I'm coming." Thistlepaw heaved herself to her paws and followed Pinepaw out of camp. The two sisters padded in silence next to each other until they reached a small and empty clearing.

"What's wrong?" started Pinepaw, settling down next to her sister.

"I—It's just that—uhh," sighed Thistlepaw, closing her eyes for a heartbeat. "I'm good at nothing but fighting! I can't hunt, I can't run, I can't do anything! And I'll never become a warrior if I can only fight. Especially now, since we have no problems with outsiders at all..."

"Thistlepaw, that's not true!" protested Pinepaw, eyes blazing with compassion and—maybe—even a little anger. "Stop undermining yourself! It's not because you're not _the best_ in everything that it means that you're not _good!_ And look at you: Spottedjay told you she hadn't seen a better fighter at your age than you!"

"I know, but—"

"Stop. Saying. That," hissed Pinepaw. "I don't care if you think you're bad and worth nothing. Because I know you aren't and I _care_ about you! I wouldn't tell you that if I thought you had no chances, _no chances_ of ever becoming a warrior. You will, and at your first try. I promise you."

"Really?" Thistlepaw's eyes brightened at her sister's words.

"Yes," meowed Pinepaw, calming down a little. "But what I am more sure about than anything else, is that if you continue moping around like this, it won't help you."

"I understand," nodded Thistlepaw. "I'll change."

"Good," replied her sister, ever the leader. "You know what, Thistlepaw?"

"What?"

"I promise you that we'll do everything together. But you have to promise me too. If one of us falls behind: we wait for the other. If one of us becomes deputy or leader: we will stay together, no matter what. I'll let nothing separate us, Thistlepaw, not even a mate. I promise you. Do you?"

"Yes," breathed Thistlepaw, eyes wide. "I promise too."

...

"He's so handsome isn't he?" giggled Thistlerose to Pineshade, eyeing the black and white tom from afar.

"Yes, definitely," purred Pineshade. "Why don't you go and talk to him? You know, so it can maybe evolve..."

"No!" retorted Thistlerose. "Not yet. I'm too scared to even try that. We've only been warriors for a moon: we'll have time to think about mates later."

"But you just said that he was handsome!" protested Pineshade. "Doesn't that mean you want at _least_ —"

"Maybe one day, but I'm not ready to talk to Nightsnow now. I still feel too young."

...

"Thistlerose, I have to talk to you."

"Nightsnow?" meowed Thistlerose, puzzled. "What's the matter?" she added, pressing against the tom she nearly wanted to call mate. Nightsnow shifted uncomfortably, backing away from Thistlerose's warming touch.

"I have to talk to you. Somewhere private."

Worry now brimmed in Thistlerose's eyes. "Okay," she whispered, following him behind the nursery, where they were sure not to be heard.

"Thistlerose, I—" started Nightsnow, swallowing in uneasiness. "Listen, I like you very much, and you're a great cat, but I don't think I'll ever love you."

The steady rhythm of Thistlerose's heard started accelerating, heating her face, making her ears buzz.

"What?" she breathed, not sure to have heard him correctly.

"I'm sorry!" cried Nightsnow. "But I don't love you. I—I love Pineshade!"

...

"I say these words so that StarClan may hear and approve my choice. Pineshade will be the new deputy of WinterClan!"

Pineshade looked up in surprise at their new leader, Reedstar, where only pride and kindness shone in his eyes. Beside her, Thistlerose nudged her happily, their past grudge against each other on Nightsnow gone.

Thistlerose had been heartbroken when Nightsnow had announced he wanted to be Pineshade's mate, and had been mad at her sister for not telling her. Pineshade hadn't really known, but had admitted she was in love with Nightsnow too.

Thistlerose had taken some time to get over that, but now seemed as radiant as always, as happy for her sister as she would have been for herself.

"I'm so proud of you," purred Thistlerose to her sister. "You've always been the best, and deserve that life."

 _You lied to me,_ was what she hadn't said out loud. _You lied to me, and broke that promise you made me do. You took Nightsnow away from me, and he in turn blinded you to the vow you made_ _._

 _And now you are deputy. You have everything you ever wanted, and the Clan has eyes on only you. You promised me a_ together, _Pineshade, for the rest of our lives. But here you are, sole cat soaking the praise, sole cat having a mate, sole cat living the perfect life between us. And I have nothing. Nothing left but you, a pathetic, unfaithful cat._

 _Be careful, Pineshade. I hope you do not forget your vow._

 _Be careful, Pineshade. Never forget that_ I _haven't forgotten the promise you made. And never doubt that I will likely want my due revenge._

 _Tread carefully. From now on, your days are numbered._


	7. Gaunt

One-shot n°7: Gaunt

 _"Do you know why I left you, Shadowstorm?" whispered the wind in the black she-cat's ear. Jumping in fright, the young she-cat turned around at the sound of the voice—but found no one._

 _"Ripplewing? Is that really you?" she whispered, eyes widening as the scent of rosemary and pine reached her nose._

 _"Shadowstorm..."_

 _But what Ripplewing was going to say became nearly indistinctible in the howling wind. Only the murmurs of the rustling leaves reached Shadowstorm's ears as she frantically clung to the last remnants of Ripplewing's scent, which was starting to fade away._

 _"Please, Ripplewing, don't leave me..." she ushered, green eyes blinking back tears. "I miss you... I want to see you again..."_

 _Shadowstorm strained her ear but no reply came other than the swirling of the leaves in the wind._

 _Head low, the black she-cat padded back to the MoonClan camp, tail drooping. "We could've lived a happy life together, Ripplewing, even short. If only you hadn't lost hope..."_

 _Shadowstorm could have sworn the wind hollered an anguished response, as if echoing her thoughts._

* * *

Since the day I was born, the whole Clan knew something was wrong with me. I barely remember my first days, but after those my mother always reminded me to be careful, that my lungs couldn't breathe as much air as the other cats, and that I was in constant risk of dying.

Kits should never know what the word dying means. It is too soon to inflict that upon a carefree kit, with its whole life ahead of it. But my mother always emphasised that fact to me, and whenever I just wanted to forget my _disease,_ she called me back to reality.

I could never play with the other kits, couldn't even run. I was forbidden to eat real prey alone until I was fully grown because if I took too big a mouthful, I would certainly choke to death.

Death.

I heard this word at least thrice a day during all my life.

I knew my mother only wanted me to live, to live as much as I could with my too-small-and-malfunctioning-lungs. But instead of making me _want_ to live, it made me detest life. Detest this half-life that was mine, where I could do nothing but stare at the Clan as every single cat performed their every-day duties.

* * *

 _Shadowkit glanced at the little Ripplekit, sitting patiently outside the nursery, watching as she and Ripplekit's sister mock-fought on the mossy ground. Ripplekit seemed okay—most of the time. But Shadowkit knew that behind his relaxed and calm position lay something far darker. Something that shouldn't have been in the heart of a three-moon-old kit._

 _Breaking away from the fight, Shadowkit padded towards the scrawny and frail little tom._

 _"Ripplekit, are you all right?" she meowed, sitting next to him._

 _"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" replied the grey and white tom absently._

 _"I dunno..."_

 _Shadowkit shifted in discomfort, not wanting to disturb RIpplekit, who was obviously in deep thought. But something was clearly bothering him._

 _"Ripplekit?" started Shadowkit, looking at him with her wide kit-eyes._

 _Ripplekit didn't answer._

 _"What's the matter?" continued the black she-cat._

 _"I said everything's all right!" replied Ripplekit, turning angrily towards her. "I don't need you to look after me or anything! I'm fine!"_

 _Shadowkit backed away a few steps. "Sorry," she meowed pitifully. "I just wanted to help..."_

 _"Well, I don't need your help! Get away from me and leave me alone!"_

 _At that precise moment, Ripplekit let out a cough, and doubled up, breathing hard._

 _Shadowkit's eyes widened. "Ripplekit? RIPPLEKIT!" she shrieked, alerting the cats in the clearing. At once, Shineheart, MoonClan's medicine cat, was at the little tom-kit's side._

 _"Here, Ripplekit, drink this," whispered Shineheart, giving Ripplekit a soaked_ _moss ball. "It'll help clear your lungs."_

 _Ripplekit did as he was instructed, and his breathing relaxed, becoming more and more normal with the passing heartbeats. When his breathing settled down to what was normal for him, Ripplekit turned around and vanished inside the nursery, not even bothering to thank Shadowkit and Shineheart._

* * *

It was tiring. Not being able to do anything I mean. Some would think otherwise, but this fact is profoundly true when you really know what it means to be inactive.

* * *

 _"Ripplepaw, you look tired..."_

 _The grey tabby sighed at Shadowpaw's voice. "It's because I'm not allowed to do anything except give herbs to cats," he meowed pitifully. "I can't even go out of camp without a whole patrol looking after me! I can't get herbs alone, I can't play with the other apprentices! I can't even talk a lot," he breathed, expiring like Shineheart had told him to do so many times._

 _Shadowpaw nodded in understanding. "It must really be difficult, I'm sorry," she meowed._

 _"It's not your fault, Shadowpaw," purred Ripplepaw, trying to ease the sad atmosphere. "You've always been kind to me, and now I'm forcing my loneliness upon you..."_

 _"It's fine, really!" exclaimed Shadowpaw. "I don't mind talking to you. It's actually quite nice..."_

 _"Really?" Ripplepaw's heart warmed at those words._

 _"Yeah," purred Shadowpaw. "Besides, your sister's quite a bossy cat... I can't stand being with her all day long!"_

 _Ripplepaw snickered. "Yeah, totally," he laughed, wheezing in the process. "She even tries to tell me which herbs are for what when I actually know them better than her! I'm the medicine cat apprentice, not her."_

 _"True," agreed Shadowpaw. "But she's also really nice, even though she's as annoying as a SunClan cat!"_

* * *

Sometimes, life seemed okay. Especially when Shadowpaw was here. She would always find jokes to make me laugh, or say reassuring words to me whenever I was down. I didn't really like being a medicine cat apprentice, but it was better than training to become a warrior without being able to fight or hunt. I couldn't run, so what was the point in training to become a warrior?

The first time Shineheart brought me to the LightStone, I was already twelve moons old. I didn't go for my apprentice ceremony, because the trek there was too long and dangerous for me, but she decided I could go when I was nearly fully grown, because my lungs would be stronger.

It still wasn't the time for me to get my new name, but Shineheart insisted I had to go at least twice before, as it was really important in order to become a real medicine cat. I couldn't agree more with her.

I thought that the first time StarClan would speak to me would be wonderful. I thought I would forget everything, feel stars around my paws, walk in the path of my ancestors. How wrong I was.

* * *

 _Ripplepaw woke up to find himself in a moonlit clearing, surrounded by misty-looking cats with stars glimmering around them. Letting a sigh of wonder, the little grey tabby padded towards Whitestar, the previous MoonClan leader._

 _"Ripplepaw," meowed the white tom, taking a step forward._

 _Ripplepaw's frowned as he detected pity in the leader's gaze._ I don't need his pity, _he thought, angrily._ I'm an apprentice medicine cat! I am going to be his equal in less than two moons!

 _"I know what you must think, young one," sighed Whitestar, reading the apprentice's face as easily as if Ripplepaw had been talking. "But life has made us who we are, and we can only be thankful. Who knows, maybe your disability will prove to be a great asset one day."_

 _Ripplepaw was fuming. How dare he! How dare he talk about his disability in a way that could only bring goodness to his life! His lungs had ruined him even before he was born! Was Whitestar trying to convince him that it was something to cherish?!_

 _Ripplepaw opened his mouth to answer but was cut off before he even had the chance to utter a word._

 _"Ripplepaw, listen to me," pressed Whitestar. "StarClan cannot see your future, and do not know if it is your destiny to be a medicine cat. You are a very talented apprentice, but MoonClan needs someone who will be able to bring back their ancestors' words, and they will not be able to rely on you for that."_

No! This isn't possible... _thought Ripplepaw, eyes widening at the injustice. If he could not be a warrior, then they couldn't take away from him the only possible alternative!_

 _"StarClan has decided that Shineheart will have to take another apprentice when the time comes, and you will be a side medicine-cat, Ripplepaw," continued Whitestar. "We trust you to do your best, but the Clans need a strong medicine cat, and you cannot fill in that role. I'm sorry, Ripplepaw."_

 _Tears shone from Ripplepaw's eyes at those last words. So he was going to be a mere auxiliary to a future medicine cat. He would not be able to speak to StarClan, and would only tend to wounds when the other medicine cat was too busy._

 _His whole future tumbled in front of his eyes as he imagined himself, a loner in a Clan. Ripplepaw did not even notice as the clearing faded away. He had not even been able to talk._

* * *

When I came back to the Clan, Shadowpaw welcomed me with a warm smile and a purr, asking me what I had learned, what I had discovered. My grief was so heavy that I felt strangely light, and if was surprisingly easy to lie to her.

I told her meeting StarClan was wonderful, that they had accepted me as a medicine cat apprentice, and that I had finally found my place.

When Shadowpaw told me she was proud of me, I felt my heart breaking into pieces.

* * *

 _"Ripplepaw, StarClan told you, right?"_

 _The grey tabby tom nodded as Shineheart looked at him with worried eyes. He was not the same cat anymore, even if he tried to hide it as much as possible. His only wish now was to hide StarClan's decision to the Clan until Shineheart took another apprentice._

 _"I'm so sorry," whispered Shineheart, "I really am. But there wasn't another solution, Ripplepaw. You must understand that."_

 _Ripplepaw nodded, but his heart felt hollow._

* * *

Shadowstorm was the only light of my life. She was everything I longed to be, and she somehow was the only one who managed to make me smile. As the moons went by, I grew to love her, and could feel that this love was mutual. I didn't really worry about the fact that medicine cats weren't supposed to have mates, since I wasn't really one anyway. At first, we didn't really know it was love, but when I got my full name, we had a long talk.

We agreed that we would keep our love a secret, and Shadowstorm promised me that if we were ever discovered, we would run away from the Clans. Well, not really run, since I couldn't, but you see what I mean.

I hated my life.

And it only became worse when Shineheart got her second apprentice.

* * *

 _"Ripplewing, you never told me you would never be a real medicine cat," murmured Shadowstorm, gazing at Ripplewing's twin blue eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"_

 _"I didn't want you to think I was weak," replied Ripplewing, even though he knew this wasn't an excuse. Shadowstorm would have loved him anyways._

 _"You know I would never think that of you," meowed Shadowstorm, hurt. "We love each other, Ripplewing! I would have kept your secret and loved you all the same..."_

 _"Are you mad?" whispered the grey tabby tom, heart clenching._

 _Shadowstorm was thoughtful for a while, and then placed her tufty tail on Ripplewing's back._

 _"No, I'm not. I understand."_

* * *

But the Clan did not.

I mean, they did not understand that all I wanted was to be treated like a normal cat. Since then, I was left aside, forgotten, as Shineheart's new apprentice took my place. Even Shineheart, who had made an effort all those moons, could not look at me straight in the eyes without letting pity flash in her gaze.

The leader even asked me one day if I wanted to retire to the elder's den. I refused, sure that the Clan would accept me once again. Maybe my illness would go away? I didn't have much hope left, but a tiny bit of it was still hidden inside my core.

My relationship with Shadowstorm was a secret until—until one night, Shineheart found us in the forest. I knew she would never tell on us, but it was too much. I knew I could never live on like that, with my former mentor knowing about the rule I had broken and the whole Clan treating me like a useless cat.

The only thing that could have kept me to life was Shadowstorm, but I had a feeling that if I had lived, even our relationship would have tarnished.

So I left a night after.

Simply.

I ran until my lungs could not stand it anymore, and let my body collapse. When I woke up, my soul had detached from my body, and I looked at my other self, which looked like it was gazing at the stars in awe.


	8. Hope

One-shot n°8: Hope

Hope is like a butterfly. It flutters, coming and going within you, until you cannot stand it anymore. You want to believe. You want to Hope. But all you know is that there is only one path. You know this, but Hope comes and goes, and makes you believe that there is another path. A path that leads to light, to happiness.

So instead of accepting, welcoming the truth, you Hope.

You Hope for the impossible path.

* * *

My name is Tigerpetal, and until Death marched towards me and slapped me in the face, I thought everyone I loved, everyone I cared about, all those faces I knew, green-eyed, blue-eyed, amber-eyed... I thought all of them were invincible. Immortal. Strong.

Deep down, you always know how it everything ends. Hope just makes you into someone who doesn't accept it.

It makes you strong. It keeps you alive.

That is, until it destroys you to the core.

* * *

 _"Leopardkit, wait for meeee!" mewled Tigerkit as she surged forward, trying to keep up with her sister. "That's not fair, you started before I did!"_

 _Tigerkit ran and ran towards the tree stump, but she wasn't fast enough. Leopardkit was a at least a tail-length ahead of her, and she sprang onto the tree stump heartbeats before Tigerkit._

 _"I won! I won!" laughed Leopardkit, watching the sulking Tigerkit from a few feet above._

 _"Not fair! You cheated!" pouted Tigerkit. "_ I _would have won if we had started at the same time. You know I'm the better runner! You just don't like to loose!"_

 _"That's not true," retorted Leopardkit, lashing her tail in annoyance. "I beat you last time!"_

 _"That's because you cheated too."_

 _Tigerkit and Leopardkit looked at each other for a long while, before both of them burst out in laughter. Leopardkit jumped from the tree stump and started wrestling with her sister._

 _"Haha!" laughed Leopardkit. "If you could have seen yourself! You were hilarious."_

 _"Not true, not true!" giggled Tigerkit as she tried to wriggle out from Leopardkit's grip. If she was better at running, then Leopardkit was definitely better at fighting. They were built very differently. While Tigerkit was tall, thin, long-limbed, and short-furred, Leopardkit was stronger, shorter, bulkier and had more muscle than her._

 _Goldenclaw, their father, often reflected on that, and found it funny that they looked so different. He would often tease them by telling them that they were flame and stream. Leopardkit was the flame, with her energy and strong build, while Tigerkit was the stream, with her short, sleek fur and calmer temperament. Tigerkit loved when he compared them like that. It made her feel special, unique. Not like Moonkit and Snowkit, who were both white with green eyes, and were very very dull cats._

 _The only thing in common that Tigerkit and Leopardkit had was their names, and it brought Tigerkit joy to know that she and her sister would always be connected that way._

* * *

Leopardshade was the best sister I could ever have. We were so close, despite our differences. We did everything together: snuck out of camp together, eat together, laughed together, and we even begged our mentors to let us train together.

We were never jealous of one another. We had our own appearances, our own characters, our own strengths and weaknesses. We were different, and that was what I cherished most about our relationship.

Everything was bliss.

Until Leopardshade's life crumbled before her as if it were simply made of stones.

* * *

 _"Leopardshade, Tigerpetal, I have to talk to you," meowed Featherfall, their mother, one sunny day._

 _Tigerpetal raised her head from where she was sharing a thrush with Leopardshade and shared a quick glance with her sister. Leopardshade shrugged and they quickly buried the remnants of their thrush and padded towards their mother._

 _"Let's go into the forest," meowed Featherfall. Tigerpetal noticed the anxiousness that laced her mother's words, and dread started settling inside her._

What's so important that she has to take us away from the Clan like that? _thought Tigerpetal as they padded silently through the forest. Leopardshade's head was bowed, but Tigerpetal knew it was because she was in deep concentration._

She's thinking the same thing as I am, _she said to herself, the thought warming her up a little._ Whatever Featherfall's going to tell us, we'll be in this together.

* * *

Little did I know what Featherfall would tell us at that time. I was so sure that everything would be fine, that whatever the news, I would stand it, Leopardshade would stand it, and we would brace it together and forget about it quickly enough.

How wrong I was.

* * *

 _"I—I don't know how to tell you this," started Featherfall, settling on the moss at the base of a big oak tree. "I—"_

 _Tigerpetal shuffled uncomfortably, and shared a quick glance with Leopardshade. Featherfall sighed._

 _"I didn't know when the time would be right, but I have to tell you now," meowed their mother. "Leopardshade, I am not your real mother."_

 _Tigerpetal's eyes grew wide as she took in the news, and she felt her sister stiffen beside her._

 _"What?" Leopardshade's voice was no more than a whisper._

 _"I'm so sorry, I didn't know how to tell you this," replied Featherfall, whiskers quivering in anxiousness. "You'll always be my kit, no matter what, but I thought you should know."_

 _"What about Tigerpetal?"_

 _"She's my real daughter," sighed Featherfall. "I—a friend of mine was pregnant with you, and knew she couldn't have kits, so I told her I would nurse you and take care of you as if you were my real daughter. When you were kits, you and Tigerpetal looked nearly alike, so I thought you could pass as my kit, but now that you've grown, the Clan sees your differences more and more, and I couldn't bear to have you learn about it from someone else. I had to tell you."_

 _"Who are my parents?"_

 _Tigerpetal stiffened at Leopardshade's icy tone._

 _"I cannot tell you," meowed Featherfall pleadingly._

 _"I have to know!" hissed Leopardshade, fury lighting her eyes. "I've been raised in lies, and now that you finally tell me the truth, you can't tell me who my real parents are! I have to know. It's the least you can do for me."_

 _"No, I won't tell you, Leopardshade, I promised my friend," replied Featherfall, anguish visible in her eyes. "I don't want to loose you. You are my daughter, like Tigerpetal."_

 _"Then why did you tell me?" retorted Leopardshade._

 _"Because I had to. The Clan would have guessed sooner or later."_

 _"That's a whole load of fox-dung," spat Leopardshade. "If the Clan guesses who my parents are, then I will too."_

 _"Leopardshade—"_

 _"I don't care about what you say anymore! You are a rotten liar," roared Leopardshade. She turned her head towards Tigerpetal. "Did you know, too?"_

 _"No, I swear, I—"_

 _"You know what? I don't care what you say either," spat Leopardshade. "Because even if you knew, you would lie to me. That's who I am, then. The daughter of codebreakers, adopted by cowards and liars. I hate you all."_

 _With these words, she flipped around and disappeared into the undergrowth._

* * *

Deep down, I always knew that Leopardshade was not my real sister. We were too different. When Featherfall told us, everything started to make sense. Our different appearances, our different personalities, our closeness. We weren't sisters. We were best friends. We were complementary.

I later found out that Goldenclaw hadn't known about this. Featherfall had kept it a secret all along, and nobody suspected that Leopardshade was not her real kit. I didn't believe what she told us about the Clan. I knew that they could never guess.

It still remains a mystery as to why Featherfall told Leopardshade the truth. We were different since our kithood, and it hadn't really changed. I never understood what impulse made Featherfall tell her.

Leopardshade came back to us with prey that same afternoon. She didn't say anything, and the Clan thought we had had an argument. But I knew that something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

* * *

Featherfall died of green-cough two moons later. I mourned her, but Leopardshade did not come at all. She hadn't spoken a word to her since learning the truth. Nor to me.

It nearly broke me down to pieces.

I didn't understand—couldn't understand Leopardshade's reaction. For me, Featherfall had done her no real harm. She had chosen to tell her the truth, and hard as it was, I couldn't understand why Leopardshade had suddenly stopped caring about us.

* * *

I think she was trying to find out who her real parents were. Nobody in the Clan looked like her, and I think it dawned on Leopardshade that she was maybe from another Clan. Or from two different Clans. Only that made sense to her.

She was trying to identify herself to someone, and couldn't find it in HeronClan. She was lost, utterly lost.

And I loved her still.

So I made it my personal goal to trail her in her search for identity, and protect her, always, from what she would learn.

* * *

Hope.

I hoped everything would get better for her. I hoped we could come back to the way it was. Before.

I hoped everything for her, for me, for our friendship.

I hoped she would find out, and finally let it go.

I hoped she would be happy again, and forgive me for a sin I had not committed.

And I knew Leopardshade hoped too, or she would have disappeared completely from the face of the Earth.

Because there is only one thing stronger than fear, than misery. And that thing is Hope.

Until it overwhelms you completely, and you cannot stand it anymore.

* * *

 _"Tigerpetal, I'm sorry," murmured Leopardshade, eyelids fluttering as she was trying to stay awake. "I'm sorry for all I did to you. I shouldn't have. The truth drove me mad. The real truth. I just wanted to identify myself to someone, put an end to all the lies, know where I really came from. It just destroyed me more and more."_

 _"Shhh, don't worry, I love you," whispered Tigerpetal, licking her sister's fur to comfort her. "I don't care what you did to me, it's forgotten now."_

 _"Ah... but nothing ever gets forgotten," replied Leopardshade sadly. She marked a pause, and continued. "I found out who my mother was. And my father. And it destroyed me more than you can even imagine."_

 _"You never told me," sighed Tigerpetal, "even if you knew I would stand by your side. I was always there."_

 _"I know. But I thought it would be easier if I got over it alone."_

 _"And you didn't. Get over it, I mean. So that's why you chose to drown yourself?"_

 _Leopardshade did not reply._

 _"You're not dead, sister," meowed Tigerpetal. "I was here for you. And you're wrong about one thing. Maybe the past cannot be forgotten, but the future is yours to create. You can forge yourself a new life. And I'll still be here for you, as I always was. Because you_ are _my real sister, and I don't care that our parents are not the same. And Featherfall was_ your _mother as well as mine. You always had a place here. In our hearts, in the Clan. Knowing you are not my blood sister doesn't change who you are. A true warrior of HeronClan, and my wonderful sister."_

 _"I never stopped caring about you, you know?"_

 _"I know. I doubted it at first, but I understood, later on. And now that you know the truth, are you ready to let your old self die and come back to life?"_

* * *

Hope is like a butterfly. It starts as a tiny little thing, grows inside a cocoon, and flutters to life, coming and going, until it settles deep down inside your heart and keeps you alive.

So you Hope, and you Hope, for the impossible path.

And sometimes, only sometimes, the impossible dissolves and every single shadow becomes light again.


End file.
